هِيَ ما عَلِمتَ فَهَل تُرَدُّ هُمومُها
نُوَبٌ أَراقِمُ لا يُبِلُّ سَليمُها
أَرواحُنا دَينٌ وَما أَنفاسُنا
إِلّا قَضاءٌ وَالزَمانُ غَريمُها
نُوَبٌ أَراقِمُ لا يُبِلُّ سَليمُها
أَرواحُنا دَينٌ وَما أَنفاسُنا
إِلّا قَضاءٌ وَالزَمانُ غَريمُها
أَرى نَفسي تَتوقُ إِلى النُجومِ
سَأَحمِلُها عَلى الخَطَرِ العَظيمِ
وَإِنَّ أَذى الهُمومِ عَلى فُؤادي
أَضَرُّ مِنَ النُصولِ عَلى أَديمي
سَأَحمِلُها عَلى الخَطَرِ العَظيمِ
وَإِنَّ أَذى الهُمومِ عَلى فُؤادي
أَضَرُّ مِنَ النُصولِ عَلى أَديمي
To assess political parties according to the criteria of truth, justice and the public interest, let us first identify their essential characteristics.
There are three of these:
1. A political party is a machine to generate collective passions.
2. A political party is an organisation designed to exert collective pressure upon the minds of all its individual members.
3. The first objective and also the ultimate goal of any political party is its own growth, without limit.
There are three of these:
1. A political party is a machine to generate collective passions.
2. A political party is an organisation designed to exert collective pressure upon the minds of all its individual members.
3. The first objective and also the ultimate goal of any political party is its own growth, without limit.
When someone joins a party, it is usually because he has perceived, in the activities and propaganda of this party, a number of things that appeared to him just and good. Still, he has probably never studied the position of the party on all the problems of public life. When joining the party, he therefore also endorses a number of positions which he does not know. In fact, he submits his thinking to the authority of the party. As, later on, little by little, he begins to learn these positions, he will accept them without further examination.
In fact – and with very few exceptions – when a man joins a party, he submissively adopts a mental attitude which he will express later on with words such as, ‘As a monarchist, as a Socialist, I think that . . .’ It is so comfortable! It amounts to having no thoughts at all. Nothing is more comfortable than not having to think.
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To assess political parties according to the criteria of truth, justice and the public interest, let us first identify their essential characteristics. There are three of these: 1. A political party is a machine to generate collective passions. 2. A political…
Weil proposes that the very concept of a political party is exactly what makes it anti-democratic:
First, a political party generates collective passion. This passion clouds the clear, reasonable judgement that's essential for the democratic process. It makes voters biased.
Second, it insidiously establishes conformity and steers the public opinion in accordance to its agenda, not in accordance to truth, justice, and public interest.
Third, it's a totalitarian system since it seeks its own infinite growth.
First, a political party generates collective passion. This passion clouds the clear, reasonable judgement that's essential for the democratic process. It makes voters biased.
Second, it insidiously establishes conformity and steers the public opinion in accordance to its agenda, not in accordance to truth, justice, and public interest.
Third, it's a totalitarian system since it seeks its own infinite growth.